Excellent urban fantasy supplement! The setting is well-explained, with clear delineation of things that are possible and those that aren't (there's for example a table for which kind of characters can use what kind of magic, which was really useful).

Best of all, it doesn't assume you're going to use the default setting. Which is a very realistic approach by the author...the odds of me running a game in the default setting approach 0, and even if I did, it would probably be situated in the areas that the game doesn't assume to be the major focus of interest. What can I say, I simply find the EU, or the Vampire-controlled regions of Russia's Far East, to be much more fun!

But then the game covers those areas as well, just in less detail. So I can do that as well. And if I decided against it, I can still use it as a basis for "general urban fantasy", by sticking to the magic (the changes make it much closer to the genre's expectations) and character types! The half-fae, in particular, are golden... Admittedly, I don't like the lycanthropes as presented in the book nearly as much as the rest of them, but I'm sure I can change them to be to more to my liking - without major effort.

230 page PDF with no bookmarks? I'll never use this in an actual game without convenient navigation. Another purchase that will be largely wasted.

Great way to hook D&D players into playing 'real' RPGs

Mythras has become my default role playing system. It can run close to simulation if wanted, and the combat can be tactically gritty, but it never feels prescriptive. It allows you to dial up and down knobs, or throw them away completely.

This does exactly what it sets out to do, more spells, more monsters, more magical items, more rule refinement, more of just about everything that makes Classic Fantasy good. A valuable tome and well worth the money.

Finally I can take the wonderful TSR settings and match them to a great system out of the box.

A rather good adventure, even if a bit linear. The idea of propitiating powerful spirits is underused in gaming, I find!

Power Outage is a really good intro for a superhero campaign, or a scenario you can throw in to any on-going campaign; especially if your heroes get captured. The opening finds the characters being hauled somewhere in the back of a truck. They have lost their powers and memories. This makes for some very interesting and collaborative RP. A big part of this scenario is the heroes remembering why they are heroes . Why do I protect the innocent? Why do I serve justice? These are all important questions that really get to the heart of the superhero genre. Using powers to throw trucks and smash the villain is always good fun. Knowing why the hero is doing their hero bit, gives the game some real stakes. While the scenario isn't overly long by page count, there are many hooks to found throughout the book to pull the heroes in different directions. Power Outage could be completed in a few sessions, or using the hooks, for much longer period. There are also some great random hero/villain generators included. Larrimore, Pivek, Yon and Turpin have done some great work here, going beyond the face of superheroes, and taking a deeper look into the why's.

I've not run this yet but after a read it feels a bit flat. The premise is ok (the PCs have lost their powers) and I like the options presented and the randomised powers table although it is not a comprehensive supers-generator. The "boss" himself is quite original and the mechanics of how the minions interact with the boss, but the encounters might feel too repetitive - the final encounter is very close to a repeat of the second major encounter. There is nothing special or unusual about the locations presented and the PCs are essentially led along from encounter to encounter, regardless of what they do. They can't get to the boss who is behind their kidnapping and ... power outage ... without a key NPC ally taking them there, or the GM puts him directly in front of the PCs. There's no real detective work to do following clues to track from the initial in-media-res opening leading to a resolution, the PCs are taken there one way or another. I don't mind a linear adventure but this is a bit of an odd mix of the default city setting with some fairly pedestrian minor encounters taking place in the mulling-around midsection of the adventure scenario. I can't help thinking a much more directed scenario with more variety and challenges would have been a better to hang the basic idea on. The cover is striking and the interior art is good but the text has a lot of padding for what is essentially a small scenario. A final note, I really hate the NPC blocks without characteristics. I can see it was done so that skills don't have to be figured out to be "correct", but very very annoying if you want to work out other skills, or if you want to work out KNOCKBACK (SIZ ???)- hardly rare in a supers setting, or if you want to work out Fatigue (CON ???). Frustrating. The NPC stat-blocks themselves look like they could have been tweaked to design each one to fit in a single column, as it is they are split into two almost everytime. It's just annoying to read, and the fact that they don't have characteristics just makes it even more grating.

Highlights: A good premise, supported by reasonable mechanics. An interesting "villain group" with novel Lt/Boss level combat encounter mechanics.

Lowlights: Combat encounters feel repetitive. Verbose text. Bland setting and incidental encounters.

Mythras Imperative is the new "RuneQuest 6 Essentials" this time a significantly abridged version of the full Mythras rules, which as of writing has not yet been published. Although Imperative is only 32 pages I noticed that with the new approach to layout the word count seems to have roughly doubled(!) on a typical page, it looks great. (Edit: it's actually about 1/3 more dense)

The implied setting for Mythras Imperative is wider than an ancient setting and includes things like firearms and high tech armour. Character creation takes up about half the book and is pretty close to the previous RuneQuest Essentials but this time abridged and condensed. Passions have been moved up into character creation and look like more like part of the core rules. The rules here do not cover the magic systems and the creature listing is much reduced, making me think of what kind of an adventure you could run ..."A Bear, a Lizardman and a Xenomorph walk into a bar...they had a lovely night out". The creature listing is clearly there to just give an idea of how different creatures work.

The overall impression is that Imperative has been designed as a taster that will get you started but is not going to give you enough to run more than a one shot or a a short run of adventures. It reminds me a little of the original introduction to 'basic roleplaying' booklet included with RuneQuest 2 although that was not much more than basic character generation, how skills work and the combat system. Imperative is a compressed but impressive sampler for the new Mythras system. It would be possible to use Imperative solely with TDM's Classic Fantasy which effectively replaces a lot of the Mythras core rules with its' own variant. If you want the full character gen and skills, the 5 magic systems, creatures, equipment, cults & brotherhoods you will have to get the full Mythras rules.

Whether a Mythras fan or not, “The Book of Schemes” is an exceptional resource for those intrigued by the intricate world of schemes and plots akin to “The Lies of Locke Lamora.” The book’s setting, primarily focused on the city-state of Guelden, offers a robust platform for GMs to craft narratives filled with deception, intrigue, and moral ambiguity. Throughout its pages, GMs will find numerous hooks and adventure suggestions designed to enrich their campaigns with layers of complexity and depth. Personally, I find this setting incredibly compelling, though preferences will naturally vary among players and GMs alike.

For the Mythras enthusiast, “The Book of Schemes” delivers a treasure trove of new content, including advanced options for equipment, combat, sorcery, and animism. It complements the “Factions” book seamlessly, providing additional depth and interconnectedness within the Mythras universe.

In my view, “The Book of Schemes” ranks alongside “Monster Island” as an indispensable addition to any Mythras collection. The detailed lore, from the political machinations to the rich cultural tapestry of Guelden, provides endless opportunities for immersive storytelling. The rules and suggestions for running intrigue-based adventures are well thought out, ensuring that GMs have the tools they need to create engaging and dynamic narratives.

Overall, “The Book of Schemes” is not just a supplement; it’s a catalyst for creating memorable and intricate campaigns that challenge players to think, strategize, and immerse themselves fully in the world of Mythras.

Amazing game! Absolutely nails the AD&D feeling from back in the day! Super easy way to get into the Mythras system using terms we all know by heart.

Will amend to 5 Stars when we can order Hardcover Book!

i don't play as much as I'd like, but i still buy books like this for ideas about world building fantasy culture. This one definitely delivered. It's nice to have options other than just Medieval Europe and East Asia.

Well done.

I've been running a campaign with this for a few months. It's really nicely streamlined. There's a good amount of simulation but unnecessary complications are avoided and things are abstracted away where necessary. I like it a lot. It's my first foray into fantasy as I've been running mostly sci-fi (CP2020, Traveller). This has the added bonus of having a generic theme so I've been able to build whatever I want on top. Very good book.

The new Mythras Imperative, with firearms rules, superpowers, rules for creating vehicles (with 13 premade vehicles), creating pulp and paragon characters, modern as well as ancient careers, 10 sample creatures and creature powers for creating your own, and only folk magic, is as complete as one could wish for a free primer, and more! And all is under the ORC license! A really amazing product.

Read my review of the full Mythras rulebook here: https://elruneblog.blogspot.com/2019/04/review-of-mythras-roleplaying-game.html